Bildt and Petritsch: Schmidt's resignation offers an opportunity to abolish the High Representative and link the OHR to the European path

(Patria) - Bosnia and Herzegovina no longer needs international administration. Christian Schmidt's resignation offers an opportunity for a fundamental reorientation, state former High Representatives in Bosnia and Herzegovina Carl Bildt and Wolfgang Petritsch in an article for the German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ).

According to Bildt and Petritsch, Schmidt's resignation raises more than just the issue of his successor, reports N1.

“The surprising resignation of Christian Schmidt from the position of High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina raises more than just the issue of succession. It forces Europe to confront an uncomfortable geopolitical reality: Thirty years after the Dayton Peace Agreement, the country remains trapped in a state of political limbo – formally sovereign, but in practice still under international supervision,” they stated.

They recall that the institution of the High Representative was created as an ad hoc body for the post-war period and played an important role in the country's reconstruction after the war.

“The institution of the High Representative of the international community is an ad hoc body that has largely succeeded in rebuilding the war-torn country. Without American and European engagement – Russia, Japan, Canada, and the European Union as the main sponsor were also represented in the Peace Implementation Council – the implementation of the Dayton Peace Agreement after 1995 would hardly have been possible,” the article states.

However, they believe that the temporary mechanism has become a permanent state over time.

“But what was conceived as a temporary solution for the immediate post-war period has become a permanent state of affairs. For some time now, this civilian institution, which has lost influence and legitimacy over the years, has served many local politicians equally as a scapegoat or a lifeline – thus freeing them from the responsibility of democratic societies to find sustainable political compromises themselves,” wrote Bildt and Petritsch.

The former High Representatives warn that appointing a new High Representative would mean continuing the unsatisfactory status quo.

“Precisely for this reason, it would be wrong to reflexively appoint another High Representative and thus perpetuate the unsatisfactory status quo. The international community – especially the EU – must ask itself whether this step actually promotes stability and independence – or merely maintains controlled stagnation,” they stated.

They also point to the changed geopolitical circumstances, especially the role of Russia.

“Added to this is a fundamentally changed geopolitical situation. While the long road to Brussels is losing its appeal for the Western Balkan countries, the international consensus on Bosnia's future has long since become fragile. Russia has been openly rejecting the role of the High Representative, endowed with special powers, for years and has long been a regional troublemaker,” the article reads.

Criticism of Washington as well

Bildt and Petritsch state that a different, transactional approach to the Balkans is also emerging in Washington.

“However, a decidedly transactional approach to the Balkans is also emerging in Washington. The recent visit of Trump's son, who is involved in public business, to the capital of a part of Bosnia and Herzegovina predominantly inhabited by Bosnian Serbs, must be seen as an attempt to establish another dubious business relationship,” they stated.

They add that similar arrangements are already in place in Serbia and Albania.

“Similar arrangements are already underway in Serbia and Albania – and this is happening with apparent disregard for European rules and laws. In these circumstances, the successor to the outgoing High Representative would hardly have greater legitimacy than his predecessor,” the authors point out.

“Europe needs a strategic new beginning for Bosnia”

In their opinion, the key question is not Schmidt's successor, but reforms that would bring BiH closer to the European Union.

“The key question, therefore, is not who will replace Mr. Schmidt, but what reforms could successfully bring Bosnia closer to the EU. It is inconsistent that Bosnia continues to be held under foreign control with no prospect of full sovereignty and self-governance, while at the same time being expected to continue its path towards the European Union,” it is stated.

Therefore, they believe a “strategic new beginning” is needed.

“Based on a thorough analysis of the three-decade-long state-building process, Europe therefore needs a strategic new beginning for Bosnia,” they wrote.

They cite the reform of the governance system and the abolition of international supervision as two key elements.

“This new beginning must be based on two interconnected elements: first, the correction of the dysfunctional governance system, and second, the abolition of special international supervision. This reform agenda, in turn, must be closely coordinated with gradual integration into European structures,” it was emphasized.

They add that this does not mean a “radical restructuring of the Dayton system,” but “realistic adjustments.”

“More efficient decision-making structures, clearer responsibilities, and the limitation of constant obstruction have long been needed,” they stated.

Link the OHR to the European path

Bildt and Petritsch believe that the closure of the OHR should be linked to the process of accession to the European Union.

“In parallel, the closure of the OHR should be closely linked to the EU accession process. Those conditions that Schmidt and his predecessors have unsuccessfully demanded for years – such as the regulation of state property – could be incorporated into the relevant chapters of the accession treaty,” the article states.

They conclude that this would end the long-standing dilemmas about Bosnia and Herzegovina's European belonging.

“This would definitively end the seemingly endless debate about whether Bosnia even ‘belongs’ to Europe,” Carl Bildt and Wolfgang Petritsch concluded in their op-ed for Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.